This idea that moms should feel guilty for working is, pardon my French, bunk. Women, whether they are compensated or not, take orders from someone else or not, have been working in some fashion or another since the dawn of time.
It seems a bit convenient, I think, that modern society seems to selectively ignore the days of women being responsible for hunting and gathering, probably with babe in tow. Did we inflict ourselves and others with guilt for doing what we had to do to ensure the tribe had food? Not likely.
What about the time we stepped up and stepped in to show our support for our military troops fighting in the name of freedom? That most definitely was work, was there profound guilt involved then? Probably not, as the focus again would have been doing all that we could to support our country, our family, and ourselves.
If we, as moms, have not been toiling in the field and in the garden, we have been toiling in the home. Who says cooking, cleaning, carpooling, and helping with homework is not “work?” Do we feel guilty every time we load and unload the dish-washer, fold and God help us try to match our children’s socks? If so, beautiful, we need to talk…like now.
I swear, all I do is work. If I am not running two medical practices, my own coaching business, and marketing for both, I am also managing two households in two different cities, and three boys, one of which is my hubs, and let’s not forget the four dogs.
Do I feel guilty about all the work I choose to engage in? Honey, ain’t nobody got time for that. Do I feel guilty about my kids having to hang out at the office all summer instead of enrolling them in camp after camp to keep them entertained? I mean, I could, if I cared enough to compare myself to other moms, but I don’t.
If you are feeling guilty for being a working mom, ask yourself why exactly are you feeling guilty? Is it because you are comparing yourself to someone else? Is it because you feel that you are depriving your children of your time?
Consider this. Showing you children that you are willing to do what it takes to feed them, clothe them, shelter them, contribute to the greater good of your community, of society, of the world, contribute your gifts, skills and talents to the world is to be commended. You should feel proud. If you want to continue to feel guilty about something, only feel guilty for not working, for not contributing, for not showing your children what it means to show up in this life in a meaningful way.
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LeNae Goolsby is an intuitive empowerment life coach and oracle of the pragmatic persuasion. When she is not working, she is creating, writing, and encouraging others to take their power back. For more information about LeNae visit www.LeNaeGoolsby.com